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Let’s all celebrate by staying way away from the mall! 🙂
We do have a morning jaunt to Lowe’s planned, though…
Hope everybody enjoyed your chutney. I’ll bet it was yummy. We had a fine time with the family.
Now we’re off it Cincy to see Jim’s mom.
See ya.
They did, and since I made a double batch, we have some ready for own turkey on Sunday.
Have a safe trip today!
I hope everyone survived their relatives. It’s late Friday night here and we’re off to bed. Enjoy your day off (if you’ve taken it).
Back from Long Island. Thankfully, family arguments were kept to a minimum. Sigh. Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving day.
Morning Boran,
Glad you had a semi-peaceful T’giving. I’m still packed with family, friends, dogs and puppies here. I am very much looking forward to Sunday when it will finally quieten down here.
Hey FM. I love my kids, but when they all left last night, and took the two extra dogs with them, I let out a big sigh of relief.
Hi SN,
I love seeing my relatives, but I look back and think of the times when I could come home for holidays and when I’d had enough of loving seeing my relatives, I could get in my car and head home. 😉
All in all except for kids running in and out and dogs constantly barking it’s not too bad.
That’s how I feel on CHristmas Day when the boys head over to their dad’s and we’re left with each other and the dogs and peace and quiet. 🙂
Xmas is another big family holiday here. So in a month I’ve got all of this to look forward to again. Oh joy! 🙂
Thanks FM. I hope that you get some peace soon. We spent some 4 hours (round trip) on the road. I was happy to get off the crowded highway and pull up in front of my house. I’m happy to see family but turkey day has become an ordeal.
Hiya Boran,
4 hours on the road! My God, I would be tired once I got there and exhausted once I got home. I was telling SN it was nice to be able to leave a family gathering, but there are some good things to be said about not driving and fighting all that traffic.
I think you need a day of total slackdom.
Seems like lighter than usual traffic around here. Is that because:
a) you are on the road;
b) you are over-run by relatives;
c) you are zoned out on L-Tryptophan;
d) all of the above?
We’ve got alternating periods of light and heavy rain today and tomorrow. The ducks are happy (their pond was a mud hole) and the alpacas, despite having shelter are standing around a looking sorry for their soggy selves. The dogs, of course, are sprawled on the floor. Each time they need out we end up using at least two more towels from the dog-towel pile upon their return – at this rate we are going to run out of dry towels. Maybe I can use the air compressor to rig one of those blow dryers that they use at the end of automatic car washes.
Guess I’m not going to pick up a load of hay today.
We returned home about ten last night and slept late this morning. Went out to breakfast buffet and used the gift certificates that have been lying around for months, then returned home to dig out the Christmas decorations. Our place is on the edge of the retail area of town and we’re the last to put up any lights, the merchants having jumped the gun even further this year.
When I was a kid out east, my mom and dad would decorate the Christmas tree and put presents out after we had all gone to bed on Christmas Eve. We were always thrilled when we woke and rushed down to see if Santa had shown up during the night and of course he did. I remember the suspense and surprise elements of it all being rather nice.
Sorry about the wet dog syndrome currently plaguing your household.
Good evening, all!
OK, enough turkey!
The traditional thing at curly’s brother and s-i-l last night w/more of her family, and today we had a small gathering here. Young asklet and big sister – swimmer – back from college. swimmer’s good friend, Blanca and one of my Norwegian friends.
I see fasting coming up the next few days, it’s been brutal over eating and expanding waistlines. To the MMA practice in the morning…
Happy late-holiday greetings, all!
I’ve been out to a neighbor’s for a two-turkey Thanksgiving feast (featuring seven pies) & I’ve done a little babysitting as well.
Hope everyone’s found reason to give thanks, despite the holiday horrors.
What a beautiful photo of a beautiful cat. Is he/she deaf? Blue-eyed whites usually are. When I was a kid we had a white cat, with one blue eye and one green one. He was deaf in the ear on the same side as the blue eye. But could hear with the “green” ear.
I’ve heard about the white cat mutation before. However, Stuart is not deaf. His breed is related to the Siamese (an Oriental) & so the blue-eyed gene doesn’t signify anything unusual.
Great photo. The expression on her face is wonderful.
Seven pies at one blow — I remember that fairy tale about the Brave Little Eater. 🙂
Alas, I was not the brave little eater in this case. I can’t process sweets — or any heavy stimulants at all, for that matter. With my history I’m sure my adrenal glands all look like dryer lint. So I get to watch others indugle while feeling like I’ve dodged yet another bullet.
😉
Hope your holiday with both families went well & that you’re safely, happily at home.
Not only do my friends indugle — they also indulge. And heavily!
Love the quizzical expression!
Stuart’s folks also keep an Abyssinian cat & I believe he was doing something that made Stuart curious.
(Actually, almost anything anyone does makes Stuart curious.)
During one of the breaks in the rain.
Luna’s expression says a lot here, keres.
Can’t get enough of these puppy pix — but alas, I must go to bed! It’s insane to be awake at this hour, when one is not fortified by fun chemicals.
Have a good day!
Doesn’t it, though. Right now Luna is sleeping in our room since it’s the only place she can get away from the kid. Luna used to not be allowed in our room either, but we decided she needed a sanctuary after Lily came along. There’s only so much ear chewing and tail tugging she can take.
Kids can be so annoying…especially the teenaged kind. We’re getting a today and tomorrow off from them though…now that they’ve finished eating everything in sight like a plague of locusts. 🙂
I’ve spent some time around young kids & remember that part pretty well.
Funny thing — when I look up “happy camper” in the dictionary, this is the picture they have under antonyms.
Being that it’s a holiday and I have a little extra time, I thought that I’d stop in and say good morning. I’m up grading papers. before I head to the gym in a bit.
Grading papers and a workout — you sure know how to relax on a Saturday morning. 🙂
Good morning Toni and Andi.
Woke up at 1:30 am this morning and finally got back to sleep, but our live dog alarms just woke me up again. I thought it was bad when George would whine and bark to get me awake in the morning. I was wrong. Having 5 dogs whine and bark in unison is bad. There’s no way you can ignore it.
Good to see you, Toni! Hope your Thanksgiving was bountiful & beautiful.
Good morning!
My sympathies to FM for being awakened at 1.30. I got 8 (pretty) straight hours.
We have another annoying new user who believes the site can be used for spamming. You know what to do.
Good morning Ask,
Congrats on the 8 hours! I was wondering if that was a spammer. Glad I didn’t click on anything.
Yeah, we’ve had spammers galore the last couple of months, don’t know if you’ve been reading/observing while “away”.
There are a couple of diaries on the recent list as well, but Booman will probably have them removed once he sees them.
I’m on it…
Yep I saw on the diaries and they pretty much stood out. This new guy was talking about what the diaries were written about and I wondered why he threw in those links.
Eight uninterrupted hours sounds so good…Five seems to be about as long as I can make it these days without having to get up.
BTW, Lewis has now been relegated to the ranks of the banned and deleted. 🙂
I’m having some coffee before I head off to yoga this morning. Big plans today: LAUNDRY (in the new washer after it’s delivered today), some grocery shopping, and finishing up some side projects that I need to complete before I start my sweet new job on Tuesday.
Ooh ooh ooh, what an exciting time of year for you! I hope you’re working hard on figuring out how to bottle that baby smell to send me…
Much easier for you to come visit and smell the real thing up close, you know…
Yoga sounds good, I’m off in a few to my MMA class, I’ve been on a 9-month hiatus and it really hurt when I started again last week.
New, sweet job – I must have missed something?
You haven’t really missed it, I was waiting for the official paperwork before I really talked about it.
And I’ll fill you in when I get back from yoga – gotta run!
Morning CG and SN,
CG that doesn’t sound like too slackerly of a day. I think just getting the laundry basket to the washer would be the big energy expenditure for me. Would have to do the actual washing tomorrow.
SN why don’t you throw baby power around you room. It’s not the baby smell fix, but it’s close. 😉
Lucky you! The b2 boy first woke me at 5:45AM although he claims that it was actually 5:41. Sigh.
Good morning all! I’ve been doing some BooMan inspired Christmas shopping at our favorite bookstore this morning.
Good morning ID,
I haven’t done any shopping since I’ve always been of the persuasion that it’s better to receive than give. Although this year, who knows. 🙂
Mrs. ID thinks I’m way too stingy with gifts (must be the Scotsman in me) and I think she’s way too extravagant. Makes for interesting conversation around this time of year.
My family always comes up with different gift giving games for X-mas. Regardless the games, I’m always assured to get two long sleeve shirts. The funny thing is I never wear long sleeve or short sleeve button up shirts. It’s always pull over “V” necked shirts. They haven’t figured that out yet.
That’s an old family trick. They buy you clothes they would like you to wear instead of what you actually wear. It’s a subtle dig on your fashion choices. My mother used to always buy me skirts and dresses and frilly things, which I have never in my life actually worn. One year she bought me a wool plaid skirt and knee socks. I was in my twenties. Apparently she wanted me to look like the porn-fantasy Catholic school girl.
After I retired and before I moved back home, I used to wear the nice clothes to the jobs I had. Once I moved home I put on about 30 lbs, and I was never able to get back into those clothes. So all of those went to nephews and Goodwill. Now I’m just as happy with a V neck shirt and blue jeans.
Good to see you, FM!
Hope you can find time today for a nice, long nap.
Hi WW,
It’s good to see you too. No worry, I can always find time for a nap. 😉
Hope you’ve been doing good and are having a good w/e.
I’m doing OK, thank you!
It snowed a bit here last night. Wanna see it?
🙂
Ya bet I wanna see it. It has been colder down here than usual, and I’m just praying we get at least one good snow down here this year.
With weather patterns being what they are, I bet you’ll get your snow & then some.
Just the other day, it was up into the 60s here (about 20 degrees above normal) & it was snowing in Arizona.
I’ll be back shortly with my show & tell. The snow’s stopped & it’s melting fast!
Yay for jeans and sweatshirts!
All this discussion about gift-giving reminded me of an essay from around 1844, IIRC. My favorite English lit teacher assigned it and it pops up to haunt me at times like these.
I read the essay and got the gist of it, but I definitely have to do a couple of re-readings.
I’m sure your mother didn’t dress you in porn clothes & then have you lounge around in front of her boyfriend, the way mine did.
And that’s why I now dress completely butch at all times.
🙂
Not that my porn clothes suited me. I looked like Goofy & Minnie’s love child.
Hope you’re set for a fine weekend!
I dress completely butch with no discernible reason. Alright, maybe not completely butch – I look terrible in cargo pants, for instance.
Mothers and their new boyfriends are ripe for creepy situations. I’m sorry your mother so completely trashed those sacred boundaries. The things we do to fuck up our kids.
It sure is nice to have some explanation.
😉
I could be very bitter toward my mother for this & other serious transgressions (that did not register as such, of course) — but I’ve come to realize she’s just a complete narcissist, with the typical lack of awareness. She just couldn’t do any better — especially since she was also an abused child.
BTW, have I mentioned where I’m going for Christmas?
😀
Christmas with Narcissists?
Yes indeed. Mom is almost 80 years old & she could really use the company.
I’m looking forward to taking my camera onto the train this year.
(I refuse to fly. Not only does it frighten me, but I get to put my money where my mouth is for a sane energy future!)
I just got back from visiting my 81 year old mother…who is not the pleasantest woman to be around. We had a nice visit, though. And I flew, which I hate. Every time we touch down safely back home I swear it’ll be my last flight. But it’s 70 minutes in the air, or 11 hours through West Virginia in a car. I choose the shortest hell.
Naturally.
The people one meets on the train are much more interesting than on other forms of transportation, IMHO. So far, I haven’t had the opportunity to survey the cruise ship experience, tho.
I have, actually — took a number of cruises with afore-mentioned mother in ’70 – ’71. Don’t remember much, aside of that I was generally the only passenger under drinking age & I felt rather at sea. Har har.
I think people on trains may seem more interesting than others because you can actually move around & talk to them.
My impression is they don’t seem to be in quite the hurry as the plane crowd and perhaps aren’t as self-centered.
Good for you on riding the train. I haven’t been on one in years, but I remember how much I enjoyed it.
BTW I hate flying too.
I haven’t traveled by plane since about ’94; have no idea what the post 9/11 security protecol is like. Needless to say, that doesn’t bother me.
At some later date I may have to fly due to time concerns. Then we’ll see.
The thing about traveling by train as you age is that I’d now like to have my own berth, so that I can lie down at night. At this age, sleeping in my seat is literally a pain in the butt.
OK, the Goofy and Minnie’s love child image is disturbing.
I’m definitely one of those lesbians who looks like a transvestite in “women’s” clothing (although I like to point out that, since I’m a woman and I’m wearing it, it must, by definition, be women’s clothing).
Until someone comes up with something more comfortable, durable and practical than jeans and t-shirts, I know what I’m wearing.
Hey, some of my ancestors, both male and female wore stuff like that;-)
In browsing the catalog, I see some of the traditional dress has been modernized somewhat.
Heh, I wore stuff like that K-8. Doesn’t mean I need to reprise it. 🙂
And both of my husbands (ex) have been Scottish. WTH is up with that??
Well, my ancestors wound up moving to the Londonderry area of Ireland. They probably thought they were in the tropics after living in the Highlands. I’m happy my background is also tempered with a large helping of French. Why I didn’t turn out to be a totally snooty skinflint is a mystery.
Heh, I wore stuff like that K-8. Doesn’t mean I need to reprise it. 🙂
Ah come on SN, reprise it. 😛
My boyfriend is blind. I just TELL him I look like a Catholic school girl.
Works for me. 🙂
You’re lucky anything still works at your age. 😛
Oh you have bashed my confidence and soul m’lady.
Sorry with all this talking about Scotland, I don’t know what came over me. 😉
Donald, where’s your trousers?”
lol!
As promised for FM, to wake him up from his nap: a little snow.
Click on the pic for larger.
Thanks WW it’s a beautiful picture. I haven’t had a dog gone nap yet! Between dogs yapping and trying to talk rationally with a relative that mad as hell, I haven’t had time for one.
However, I just walked into my room, checked the computer and now I’m going to lay down and put the pillow over my head. 🙂
Thanks again for the snow picture. I just hope we get at least that amount here.
I bet you will! It’s not even an inch — but it’s wet, so it sticks.
Enjoy your nap! I’m thinking of doing the same (I mean, enjoying my nap.)
Maybe you want to invest in some earplugs for the next holiday ..
I’ll take that one inch of snow and wish for 3 or 4 more.
Earplugs will become a holiday necessity.
And all we got was wet dog.
We’re well on our way to two inches of rain in less than 24 hours.
Hector wants his house back.
Hi Keres,
We’re supposed to have a lot of rain come through here on Monday. It’s funny, I can remember last year when we were told we were in severe drought conditions. It was pretty much for the whole Southeast. No it looks like there’s no drought, but there has been flooding. Go figure.
I don’t mind the rain as much as I mind the whole dogs in the rain problem. If I don’t let them out they go stir-crazy. If I do let them out they want back in right when they’ve become indistinguishable from mud puddles. Only I’m pretty sure mud puddles smell better.
We’re supposed to get more rain tomorrow, and then sunny on Tuesday, followed by more rain. I know when I’m doing laundry this week.
That’s one problem I’ve never had. When it’s even a slight sprinkle, I can’t get George to go out. When I know he really has to go, I have to pick him up and put him down in the middle of the yard.
Pretty, but I’m not looking forward to the chillyness.
ID I would take the cold and snows like I remember in New Hampshire and Europe. Of course there’s one condition. Electricity, phone and cable have to stay on. 😉
Warm would be # 1 for me. The rest I could live without if worst came to worst.
Yep staying warm would be the #1 priority. #2 would have to be the cable. I know I would be sitting in front of the tv flicking the channel button on the remote hoping I could find just one channel. Pitiful I know, but…… 🙂
Clean laundry, and lots of it…bliss. It feels funny to have such a nice washer and dryer after all these years. Like I shoud display it in the living room or something. 😉
I’ve had a love affair with my washing machine for years. Oh, maybe that’s TMI. 😉
After 3 weeks of going to my mom’s with the bare minimum of laundry that MUST be done, it’s heaven to be able to wash everything. And to have it actually be clean afterwards (unlike the old machine)…w00t!
I hope you and your washer have many more happy years together…
I have to admit that we may overly fond of our recently purchased Bosch front-loader. Of course, with all the rain we get a bit back-logged with the drying. Our only drying options are the outside line or a rack in the house next to the wood stove. Add in the bulk of a dozen dog towels and you can see the problem.
That would drive me crazy in my current state. Wet dogs are one thing, but wet dogs and wet laundry everywhere…oy.
If you’re this way over a washer, I would hate to think how you would be over a new fridge or stove. 🙂
I replaced the kitchen appliances in 2003, and still love them too. 🙂
You’ll have to match the color of your living room assuming the machines are of the colored variety.
We went with plain white, although the red and metallic blue machines sure were purty. 🙂
Clearly you need to take a picture of your new beauties and use it for a new cafe. 🙂